Egyptian Museum, Cairo

Egyptian Museum has so many things and not enough space for it. At times things felt too eclectic. Some artifacts were organized by time line but some were just filling the space. The best thing to do is to hire an Egyptologist preferably from your hotel with a good reputation. We hired one outside the museum for 65 pounds for an hour and I could not understand the word he was saying.

Also bring cash, museum does not take credit card. No photography allowed, they are pretty hardcore about checking your purse so if they see the camera you will have to leave the museum to check it in.

Don't listen to scammers outside telling you that museum is close becasue it's always open!

I really enjoyed Cairo. The people were friendly, the food was good, and the Pyramids, Sphinx and Sakkara pyramids/tombs were sensational. I was really looking forward to seeing the Cairo Museum. I had heard so much about it and I was a regular visitor to their website.

When I visited the Museum the lines were long and it was a very hot day at 47 degrees Celsius. I could not believe it when I finally got inside and there was no air-conditioning. It seems that the many millions of dollars that this attraction rakes in annually are not enough to purchase air-conditioning for the comfort of their patrons. (Only the Tutankhamen rooms are air-conditioned and you can imagine how crowded they were.) I also felt that the museum was extremely dirty and there was not much order to the entire place.

I decided that I wished to see the Rosetta stone (Even though it is only a copy), pictured here, and the Tutankhamen artefacts before I made a beeline for the nearest exit and the closest bar for a cold beer.

Call me harsh, but I thought the Cairo Museum was crap

The entry fee in July 2009 was 60 Egyptian Pounds

The Egyptian Musuem is one of the must see places in Cairo. It is one great place to discover teh history of ancient Egypt. Statues,, potteries, carvings, gold collecltions,
Located at the ground floor are huge statues of the Pharaohs, stone carvings, paintings etc.
At the upper floor, enormous exhibits like Tutankhamun's tomb, treasures and other collections can be found here. Also on the same floor you'll find a room wherein mummified bodies are placed...one of which is believed to be of Ramses I (additional fee if you want to go inside the special room)
The whole museum is huge and overwhelming. So, prepare ahead fo time on what you really like to see So, you would enjoy your visit more.

I loved this old red brick building (it was built in 1897) that houses the Egyptian Museum although I didn’t like that I had to leave my cameras outside (it’s really strictly forbidden to take pictures maybe you can try some fast ones with the mobile if you desperate though).

When I god inside I was surprised of the dust that covers every display case! It seems that Indiana Jones brought some artifacts just around the WWII period :) Hopefully, the signs are in english too so you know what you’re looking at. And what you can see here are some really priceless antiquities divided into the first and second Phaoraonic Period until the roman era. There are so many artifacts that will take you a month to see everything! I choosed some items according to my book so I limited my visit to 3 hours :) Of course the most impressive room is the one with the houses the artifacts that came from King Tutankhamon’s tomb. The problem here is that it’s always packed with people.

The Royal Mummies are also a must see with so many of them you’ll get surprised and from what I noticed they are very popular among the young people.

The museum is open daily 09.00-17.00
The entrance fee is 60LE (2009 price) +100LE for the Mummies collection.

There’s no doubt about it – you have to visit the Egyptian Museum in Cairo when you’re there! I think it has over 120,000 artifacts --- from that little little statue of one of the first pharaohs (Khufu I believe) to the actual mummies! It is a bit overwhelming and there is no way in the world that you can see everything…

So, the recommendation is that one should just concentrate on items that interests one’s self --- and for me one of them was the Tut collection. It was nice to see the things that the young pharaoh really used – like his bed, hunting stuff and I think even his crib when he was younger.

There’s just so much to see in this Museum and you definitely have to allot a whole afternoon (if not the whole day or two) for it…

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For a museum that holds some of the worlds most priceless and unique antiquities the actual museum itself is rather drab. Of course for someone like me who is used to museums like the Louvre where the building and presentation is as spectacular as the art and sculptures inside, the Egyptian museum turned out to be a disappointment. However as the the saying goes, "its what on the inside that counts" and thats exactly what makes the Egyptian museum a must see on your visit to Cairo. The museum is full of Egyptian sculptures, art, and other antiquities but of course the crown jewels are the King Tut exhibit and the Royal Mummies. I was surprised at the rather lackluster presentation of all of King Tut's stuff but once I got over that minor detail I was in awe of the riches that came from his tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The Royal Mummies were also a sight to see but at an extra charge separate from the admission fee. It is however worth the extra cost as the mummies are incredible....the preservation is astonishing, and who wouldn't want to see the shriveled up body of Ramses II? By the way taking pictures is strictly forbidden and they will make you delete the pictures from your memory card or even just take it away (I saw several people getting the treatment, so believe me it is enforced) but don't let that stop you from taking pictures! Just be really, really sneaky....

Hours of Operation: 9:00 to 7:00 Daily

Admission: Adults 60 LE (There are student discounts available)

Royal Mummy Exhibit: Adults 100 LE (There are student discounts available)

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What I loved about this place was the atmosphere..... everything covered in dust, old fashioned display cases with brass keyholes ready for a brass key, aged and faded labels (probably the originals) typed with a manual typewritter.
I felt it was the perfect setting to see these ancient artifacts.

BE QUICK THOUGH ! I heard there is a brand new 'shiny' Egyptian Museum under construction - you won't be able to visit this old place soon.... shame :(

Hours 09:00 - 17:00
As at March 2009: 60LE adult entrance.

Looking at the front entrance, to the right, there is a gift shop & coffee shop you can visit.
Maybe you can get a Museum guide book/pamphlet here, as I couldn't find one in the foyer.

You will be approached by lots of "Egyptologists" offering you their services as guide.
I didn't take any up on their offer, but many did and seemed satisfied.

Artifacts labelled in Arabic & English.
No photoghraphy allowed inside.

I believe the King Tut room usually charges an additional entrance fee (200LE). I visited on a Friday and didn't have to pay any extra this day.
There is also a 'mummies' room you can pay extra to see (100LE approx.)

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There is a fee to see the mummies of the pharaohs at the Egyptian Museum--- but what the heck, when is the next time you're going to be there!? Besides, it's like helping them maintain these world treasures because I think it takes a lot of money to make sure the glass casings are intact and that the mummies are in the right temperature...

So, I went in and looked at these famous pharaohs, including Rameses. They are all shrivelled up and somehow they kinda looked alike --- but then they are "related" in one way or another. If I were a mummy, would I look the same? In my line of work, I have dissected cadavers and they look different - but they were fresh or dead for a year --- on the other hand, these mummies are 3000 years old! Of course, the insides have already been taken out from these mummies so there's not much to see if we open them up (or is there?)...